Actor Naveen Chandra, known for his versatile roles across Telugu and Tamil cinema, finally sees his long-awaited film 28°C hitting the big screen after six years. He opens up about the film’s struggles, his journey in the industry, his growing presence in OTT and the exciting projects on his plate
suresh kavirayani
Actor Naveen Chandra has carved a niche for himself in Indian cinema, excelling in lead roles, negative characters, and impactful supporting performances. He has been making waves in Telugu and Tamil cinema while also becoming a well-known face in the OTT space. Now, after a long wait, his film 28°C is finally set to release—a project that faced years of delays but is now getting the theatrical release it deserves.
The journey of 28°C began in the most unexpected way. Naveen recalls how a chance meeting at a restaurant changed everything. “I was having lunch when a doctor approached me, saying he had been trying to get my number for two months. He told me he was a dentist and wanted to make a film with me. This was almost six years ago. At that time, I had doubts—can a doctor make a film without any prior experience?” he shares.
Despite his skepticism, Naveen gave his number. Two days later, they met again and the dentist-turned-director narrated a unique story that caught Naveen’s interest. “I found the story fresh and different, so I decided to go ahead with it,” he says. The doctor in question was Dr. Anil Viswanath, who later gained fame with Polimera. “This was his first film, and back then, no one showed much interest in it. But now, it’s finally releasing,” he adds.
Naveen Chandra, who won hearts with Andala Rakshasi, often gets requests from fans to do another love story. This was one of the reasons he took up 28°C. “It’s a love story with thrilling elements. The plot revolves around a husband who has to ensure that his wife’s body temperature stays at 28 degrees. How he takes care of her and what challenges he faces form the crux of the story,” he explains.
The lead characters are both doctors who meet in college, fall in love and get married. “Since the director is a doctor, he wrote the medical aspects convincingly. But in reality, such a condition doesn’t exist—he was inspired by a book,” Naveen reveals.
The film’s production faced multiple hurdles. Originally planned to be shot in the USA, the team had to change locations due to visa restrictions. “Our team planned the shoot in Georgia instead. Out of the 22 members, only Raja Ravindra and I were allowed entry, while the rest were deported to Dubai. It was a chaotic situation. I thought the shoot would get canceled, but the team endured difficult conditions in Dubai for a day before finding an alternate route via Baku,” Naveen recalls.
Even after reaching Georgia, the team had to brave harsh weather conditions, including heavy rain and freezing temperatures. “Despite all the challenges, we completed the shoot,” he says. Some crucial scenes were also filmed in Visakhapatnam.
After wrapping up the shoot, the director showed 28°C to several industry people, but no one was willing to back it. “They asked for changes, but nothing moved forward. Then the pandemic hit, and we even tried getting it released on OTT, but that didn’t work either. My earlier films hadn’t performed well, so that impacted this film’s chances too,” Naveen shares.
The turning point came when Dr. Anil Viswanath’s later films—Polimera and its sequel—became successful. Director Vamsi Nandipati then watched 28°C and decided to release it. “That’s how a six-year-old film is finally seeing the light of day,” says Naveen.
Now, the actor is excited to see how audiences will receive the film. “At one point, I had accepted that it might never be released. But now, it’s finally happening, and I can’t wait for people to watch it in theaters,” he says.
Beyond films, Naveen Chandra has been making a mark in the OTT space. He believes that content consumption has evolved significantly. “Audiences today want fresh, engaging stories. There’s no impact on my film career even though I’m doing web series and playing negative roles,” he says.
When asked about the current trend of crime thrillers dominating OTT, Naveen has an interesting take. “Crime series are at the top because, even in reality, crime rates are rising. I don’t know if audiences enjoy heavy violence, but they seem drawn to heroes who kill in creative ways,” he observes.
He also notes the growing influence of Malayalam cinema in the digital space. “OTT platforms are focusing heavily on Malayalam films because they offer fresh narratives,” he says. Naveen himself has found success in the streaming world—his web series Inspector Rishi ranks third in popularity after Family Man and Mirzapur. “The second season is on the way,” he reveals. While Naveen is busy with multiple projects, he regrets missing out on a big break in Suriya’s upcoming film Retro. “I was shooting for Game Changer at the time and couldn’t adjust my dates. Otherwise, I would have played a strong villain role in Retro,” he admits.
Despite this, Naveen has plenty of exciting work ahead. “I have several projects in Tamil and multiple web series lined up,” he shares.
Naveen previously played a key role in Trivikram’s Aravinda Sametha alongside Jr. NTR, which proved to be a major turning point in his career. Now, years later, he is thrilled to be working with the same production house for Ravi Teja’s Mass Jathara. “It’s a great feeling to be back with them for another exciting film,” he says.
